Manchester United captain Roy Keane has been charged with bringing football into disrepute as a result of claims in his controversial autobiography that he deliberately injured another player during a Premier League match last year.
If found guilty by England's Football Association, Keane (31) could face a lengthy ban. But the prospect of official censure is unlikely to hamper sales of the former Ireland midfielder's autobiography, which has become the fastest-selling book ever in the Republic and is topping the best-sellers' list in Britain.
Already, an estimated 100,000 copies of Keane: The Autobiography, ghostwritten by outspoken journalist Eamon Dunphy, have been snapped up here, and many booksellers have been unable to keep pace with demand. In Britain it is outselling the next most popular title by five to one.
A Penguin Ireland spokesman described the autobiography, which went on sale only 10 days ago, as a "publishing sensation".
He commented: "It is being sold not only in bookstores but in grocery shops and sports stores. People who have never read a book in their lives are buying it."
In Dublin yesterday, a customer reportedly requested 500 copies of the autobiography at bookseller Hodges Figgis but was told that the store did not have sufficient supplies in stock.
Keane's sending-off at the weekend for elbowing his former Ireland colleague Jason McAteer is likely to further boost sales.
"The Keane saga keeps running and running and this has benefited the book enormously. There is no such thing as bad publicity," the Penguin Ireland spokesman said.
In Keane's native Cork, bookstores have found themselves overwhelmed by demand for the autobiography.
"People here are extremely loyal to Roy and they want to hear his side of the story," said Mr Frank Dineen, manager of the Mercier bookshop.
"At this stage, every person in Cork seems to have read the book. But it is still selling out. We've ordered another batch, but we know it won't last until the weekend."
Keane underwent surgery for a hip injury last Tuesday and has pulled out of a short book-signing tour of the Republic, scheduled for the weekend.
Penguin Ireland said that the player was contractually obliged to appear and that the tour would probably take place over coming weeks.